Review of The Wild Bunch (1969) by Stephen E — 07 Aug 2012

When you get right down to it, "The Wild Bunch" is overlong, a little disjointed and takes almost an hour to get started, but it's the individual moments of greatness that you learn to love instead of the film as a whole.

It's a daring achievement on Sam Peckinpah's behalf, and the direction that he takes is supremely original. The train robbery scene delivers some of the most nail-biting suspense I've ever endured, and the bloody shootouts that bookend the film are as chaotic and gruesome as one might expect.

In fact, the amount of violence on display in "The Wild Bunch" is so plentiful and so unnecessary graphic that it seems almost ridiculous. As much as I hate to admit it, the copious amounts of blood and gore really maximize the viewing pleasure.